Banks Getting More Involved in Alternate Financing
Should We Be Concerned?

by Christopher Menkin

There is a trend in alternate financing moving from individual investors to bank loans and securitization. The first sign came from the shooting in Southern California where the shooter had recently obtained a loan from an alternate finance company. Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the shooters that killed 14 people, had received a $28,500 loan through Prosper "in the weeks before the shooting."

It turns out that it was Citigroup that funded the loan through Prosper, according to The Wall Street Journal:

"A subsidiary of Citigroup called CIGPFI Corp. in October packaged Prosper loans into a $376-million security. These packages make it possible for pension funds, insurance companies and other large investors to get into the fast-growing field of online lending."

As I remember, he reportedly gave the money to his mother and father. He had very little assets and the estate he left will not cover the money borrowed. Neither Prosper nor Citibank made statements as they said privacy laws prevented them for doing so.

This is like the real estate lending when the loan officer would inflate the income of the borrower and then write he verified it (but did not), as he wanted to make the loan.

The bank never double checked and was just anxious to bundle the loan and sell it off in a group.

It's the same type of Wall Street CDO securitization technique used to distribute, hide and misrepresent the risk in pre-2009 liar home loans. You would think that Dodd-Frank would prevent most of this now but I guess not so in the small business finance segment which may become this cycle's infamous money machine.

There is talk about loosening regulations as both the Senate and Congress plus the White House will be Republican controlled. This could lead to a recession as alternate finance bank securitizations continues to grow. It is the rising economy and high employment making things work today. As interest rates go up and the economy slows down, the time table is in place for it to hit the wall.

Perhaps the percentage of such subprime assets in the banks' portfolios and balance sheets is not yet significant, although if it is continues to grow fast, it bears watching closely, especially if a turning point in the business cycle is less than 2 years away.

Good lending habits, meaning credit and financial statement analysis, are extremely important. To advertise "We make loans that banks turn down," is really not smart to brag about.

 

 

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National Assoc. Equipment Leasing Broker Conference
Doubletree Hilton Hotel, Anaheim, Orange County, California

By Ken Greene, Esq.

This past weekend, I attended the NAELB Western Regional Meeting in Orange County. The conference was well attended and the mood generally upbeat. There were 121 attendees, including 54 brokers and 67 funders/associates. There were 26 exhibitors including:
360 Equipment Finance
Advantage Funding
American Lease Insurance Agency
Amerisource Funding
BlackRiver Business Capital, LLC
Blue Bridge Financial, LLC
BSB Leasing
Channel Partners Capital
Cobra Capital LLC
Dakota Financial, LLC
Financial Pacific Leasing, Inc.
Fora Financial, LLC
Global Financial & Leasing Services
instaCOVER
Marlin Business Bank
Maxim Commercial Capital
Navitas Lease Corp.
Orange Commercial Credit
Paradigm Equipment Finance
Pawnee Leasing Corporation
Preferred Business Solutions/ELB Tools
Quality Leasing Co., Inc
Quiktrak Inc.
RapidAdvance, LLC
TEAM Funding Solutions
TradeRiver USA

The Friday afternoon "speed-dating" sessions included 18 total funders/associate members, the brokers, not surprisingly, outnumbering the funder/associate members. Brokers met with all funder/associate members for approximately six minutes per rotation. There was great feedback among the participants about meeting new people and how this format allowed attendees to plan their time in the exhibit hall on Saturday more strategically.

On Friday evening, approximately 70 people attended a reception at Dave & Buster’s. According to one source, who chose to remain anonymous, "the food was gross, the drinks were free, everybody got a $15 power card to play games like pop-a-shot, pinball, skeeball, etc..." Seems like a great time was had by all, as long as they didn't eat the food. 

Saturday morning was dedicated to the exhibitor hall. This was followed by lunch and an interesting panel on the State of the Industry led by Barbara Griffith of Southern California Leasing, who was joined by Dwight Galloway of Navitas Credit Corp., Jaime Kaneshina of The Cambridge Capital Group and Dale Kluga of Cobra Capital. 

Jaime Kaneshina and I conducted the final panel of the conference, addressing our favorite topic, the California Finance Lenders Law. We discussed general license issues, updates with the application process, annual reports, and audits. There were about 30 attendees, and the question and answer session extended for a half hour after the conclusion of the panel. The amount of confusion and concern generated by the CFL law continues to amaze me. 

Overall, I felt the conference was a success. NAELB is very economical, almost Spartan in its conferences, nothing like the old WAEL/UAEL/NEFA conferences back in the day, as some of us reminisced over drinks at the conclusion of the panels on Saturday. Still, they somehow manage to get it all done in less time and for substantially less money that their counterpart associations. For me, it was enjoyable as I got to see many old friends and make quite a few new ones. Although the recent election was of course a recurring topic of conversation, there was no sense of doom and gloom casting a shadow over the industry. As pointed out in the State of the Industry discussion, although there is far greater competition coming from banks, as well as alternative financing lenders, there is still a sense that the equipment finance industry is alive and well.

Kenneth Charles Greene
Law Offices of Kenneth Charles Greene
Suite 208
5743 Corsa Avenue
Westlake Village, CA 91362
Tel:      818.575.9095
Fax:     805.435.7464
Email:  ken@kengreenelaw.com

 

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National Equipment Finance Assoc. Conference Report
Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe, Teaneck, New Jersey

by Allan Levine

The NEFA Fall Expo in Teaneck was a good regional event. With about 105 +/- attendees, there was something for all. Sunday night was a buffet dinner and plenty of time to connect or reconnect with fellow industry colleagues.

The educational sessions were significant and meaningful for today’s market place. The Monday AM session was Increasing Sales with Technology. Although we all use technology today, everyone could pick up a tip or two and get a bit fired up to try adding new methods to one’s current platform.

Then, there was plenty of time to network while exploring which of the 17 exhibitors one might want to visit. There was a funding source for all to meet and see what options are out there. The afternoon provided two more sessions with one focusing on Marketing Strategies. I must admit some of the statistics mentioned were important in making one think about how to “fish for clients.” The other session was Deepening Funding Source Relationships which covered efficiencies from the credit application to final funding. Who doesn’t want more tips on that process?

In the late afternoon, there was an option trip into NY to see the new Freedom Tower. Then, drinks and dinner.

As far as the business climate, there were mixed reviews. I heard from “business is great” to “Ok” to “not so good as the first half of the year”. So who knows? The only thing I know is Madison Capital is having a great year. Delinquencies are creeping up a bit. One can only expect that after 5-6 years of low defaults, something has to give.

In all, for a local industry event, one could find something meaningful to learn, meet a new industry colleague, or just take in the event and get pumped for the balance of 2016.

Allan Levine
President and COO
alevine@madisoncapital.com
MADI$ON CAPITAL
Equipment and Vehicle Lease Financing Solutions
11433 Cronridge Drive  Suite F
Owings Mills, Md. 21117-2992                 
Direct Line: 443.796.7337
Direct Fax: 443.213.1582
Office fax: 443.796.7200

 

 

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Sales Makes it Happen by Robert Teichman, CLFP

Moving Up: Selling into the Middle Market

Small-ticket and middle market are two different businesses. The Leasing salesperson who understands the differences will be successful in both.

The small-ticket business, generally defined as leases for equipment costing less than $150,000, focuses primarily on the credit of the guarantor of the lessee company. Some consider the marketplace under $250,000, as often "app only" goes up to this amount.  It used to be $75,000.  The definition is centered around the lessee only supplying a credit application calling for a minimum amount of information and three months of the first page of their bank statement. The application and bank statements are forwarded to a funder, which reviews the credit, concentrating on the guarantor's credit score and the lessee's time in business. The funder may also consider bank and trade information. Approval, if granted, occurs shortly after the funder receives the application, and the approval and rate is transmitted to the originator. Some now claim to approve in five seconds (TimePayment), Financial Pacific is several minutes and 4Hour Funding can not only approve the transaction but pay the vendor by ACH in four hours (they use Equipment Finance Agreements, not lease documents).

Therefore, the characteristics of the small-ticket business include an application with little information, heavy reliance on credit scores, a fast turnaround of the credit process, and credit review before getting the lessee's commitment.

On the other hand, middle market leases, generally defined as leases between $150,000 and 1,000,000, require a more structured approach. The funder requires a full financial package, which includes several years of financial statements, lessee and guarantor tax returns, complete equipment details and a narrative which should include a thorough financial analysis as well as a discussion of the company and its history.

Because of the depth of analysis which goes into a middle-market transaction, most funders demand that the lessee agree to the terms of the lease before starting the credit process. It is because of this requirement that more middle-market lease approvals convert to bookings than do small-ticket (application-only) transactions.

All leasing salespeople should understand how to place a middle-market transaction. Even those who specialize in application-only deals will improve their volume by learning packaging and financial analysis techniques. One of the first things to do is learn to read financial statements and understand ratios.

Often, the lessee who started with a small transaction grows beyond the small-ticket limit. In order to maintain the relationship, the originator will have to help the lessee obtain the financing, or risk losing the account.

One technique I have often used is the Master Lease. Instead of simply responding to the lessee's stated need for a small transaction, I would ask what other equipment the lessee planned to acquire that year. Not surprisingly, there almost always were other items on the capital expense budget. I would then offer a written proposal based on the total equipment needed, since I knew by then that I was working with a larger transaction. All the equipment the lessee planned to get over a six to twelve month period could be easily accommodated under a single Master Lease, instead of many individual leases.

If the lessee did not need additional equipment, the lease could still have been handled as an application-only transaction.

Not all lessees would qualify for a larger Master Lease, but the originator who pre-qualifies the lessee and is confident of obtaining an approval will win not only the original small lease, but all follow-on leases as well. Originators who understand how to read and analyze financial statements and how to properly prepare a full financial package will significantly increase their bookings.

Financial Statement Analysis
"My Accounting Course"
http://www.myaccountingcourse.com/financial-statements/

Robert Teichman, CLFP
Teichman Financial Training
3030 Bridgeway, Suite 205 Sausalito, CA 94965
Tel: 415 331-6445
Fax: 415 331-6451
e-mail: BoTei@aol.com

 

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$5 Billion in Same-Day ACH Payments Done Last Month
by Grace Noto, Bank Innovation

3.8 million same-day ACH transactions took place last month for a grand total of $4.98 billion transacted, according to data released today by NACHA—the National Automated Clearing House Association, otherwise known as the governing body behind the ACH Network.

These numbers are the result of the first month in which same-day ACH transfers were implemented in its first phase, which began on September 23. The first phase involved ACH credit settlements. This is an update to what one might call the “traditional” ACH network, which typically settled transactions overnight.

“I think the largest benefit is that it changes the way payment providers view ACH,” says Jason Oxman, CEO of the D.C. based Electronic Transactions Association. “The availability of same-day ACH opens up a whole host of potential use cases.”

Of course, one should keep in mind that it’s still early days (we just passed the first 30, in fact) so the adoption of these use cases will come a bit later.

Currently same-day ACH is credit only, not debit, which might account for why some companies are still hesitant to do the origination side of things, according to Oxman, who also noted that this recent data provides a good look at the demand for the product.

“NACHA deserves a lot of credit and applause,” says Oxman. “It’s a good opportunity for the industry to sit back and applaud [NACHA’s efforts].”

The greatest volume of transactions that took place during this first month were “direct deposit” transactions—used for things like pension payments, emergency payroll, etc.; and counted for $1.6 billion of the total $4.98 billion transacted or just about 49% of the total transaction volume, if not its value. These types of ACH credit transactions accounted for 70% of traditional ACH volume, according to NACHA.

Unsurprisingly, the next highest use was business-to-business payments; which took the next 36% of the transaction volume (these types of payments accounted for 20% of traditional ACH), totaling $2.8 billion in payments for the month of October.

Interestingly, P2P payments also saw a leap this month, jumping from 1% of traditional transactions to 13% of same-day ACH, which might be a factor in why the average transaction amount has dropped from its previous figure of about $2100 to its current figure of about $1300.

“P2P transactions represented about $500 million [in payments],” says NACHA President and CEO Janet Estep. “This speaks very well to supporting those consumers who want more control.”

NACHA also reported a small rise in the volume of those consumers utilizing ACH for bill payments, which has hovered at around 2% of transaction volume for decades.

These are significant results considering that the shift to same-day ACH is only in its first phase. NACHA has plans to continue the momentum by enabling same-day ACH debit payments, which it should do on September 15th of next year, according to the company.

According to Estep, NACHA will continue to report ACH data, but will do so on a quarterly basis moving forward.

 

Sometimes Growing Your Profits Means Thinking Out of the Box For more than 20 years now, Receivables Management LLC has built their reputation with unmatched Professionalism, Honesty, Integrity and the ability to earn its Equipment Leasing clients an average of 30% on residual income. • End of Lease Negotiations & Enforcement • Third-Party Commercial Collections john@jkrmdirect.com | ph 315-866-1167 www.jkrmdirect.com

German Shepherd
San Francisco, California  Adopt-a-Dog

Chance
Male
1-2 Years old

“Chance is a handsome German Shepherd, who is filled with plenty of energy and personality. He is very smart, has a great temperament, and is friendly with people and other dogs. Poor guy was hit by a was hit by a car several months ago and his leg was shattered, but now that he’s healed you would never know it happened and it doesn’t hold him back from being the athletic pup that he is.  He’s around 1-2 years old.

“Chance is potty-trained and knows how to sit, lay down, come, stay, shake, and drop it (his ball). As you can imagine, he is very eager to please to get some treats! Outside, Chance is very social, having been brought to various restaurants and hiking trails where he gets a good amount of attention, all of which he loves!

“Chance would do well in a home with a large yard or high fenced open area for him to run, play, and exercise. He does like to jump, so he needs reminders on boundaries, which he responds to very well. He also is still learning how to share his toys with his foster sister.

“Chance would do best with owners who have breed experience and/or can commit to working with him daily so he could reach his potential. We would also recommend a single-dog household or a home with other dogs who don’t mind his energy level/need for attention. With the right training and reward system, he learns fast!

“Chance is a loving, smart, active, happy-go-lucky pup that loves hanging with people and other dogs.  He is very eager to please, has a sweet temperament, and loves to be by your side as much as possible.”

Application:
https://www.rocketdogrescue.org/adopt/adoption-application/?d=Chance

Rocket Dog Rescue
P.O. Box 460826
San Francisco, CA 94146
info@rocketdogrescue.org

Adopt a Pet
http://www.adoptapet.com/

 

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Attorneys Who Specialize in
Banking, Finance, and Leasing

Operations / Remarketing / Repossessions

Operations: Portland , OR Portfolio Financial Servicing Company provides state of the art portfolio servicing for portfolios of all sizes. 800-547-4905 sales@pfsc.com	Repossessions: Southern California (except San Diego). Full service repossession agency. All vehicles, big rigs, boats, heavy equipment and machinery. Licensed and insured 818-786-7376. www.simonsrecovery.com. adam@simonsrecovery.com
Repossessions: Canada  Cease Bailiff Services Incorporated: Asset Investigation/Tracing; Asset Recoveries; Asset Protection/Security Asset Liquidations/Sales; Ottawa, Canada; www.ceasebailiff.ca dave@ceasebailiff.ca; Phone 613 898 7376 ; Fax 613 225 2452	Remarketing: Los Angeles, CA Video, Audio, Film, Computer, IT, Test, Presentation Equipment We pay cash / 3 million in buying power /Quick Quotes UBG 800-570-5224  jon@usedvideo.org
Repossessions: All kinds of vehicles, equipment and machinery. Anywhere in the United States. Anything, Anywhere, Professionally  800-755-1968  Rayc@american-locators.com	Repossessions: Melville, New York Auctions, Appraisals, National Repossessions.  ALL asset classes. 20+ year team works for you. Spend less, Net More… Fast! Ed Castagna 516-229-1968ecastagna@inplaceauction.com
Repossessions/Remarketing Bulldog Asset Management provides recovery and remarketing services with a difference. Contingent repos, free storage and industry experts to remarket. Email: http://bulldogasset.com/contactwww.bulldogasset.com	Repossessions: Florida Commercial Asset Solutions, Florida repossessions and skip tracing. We have been repossessing assets longer than anyone with the highest rate of return. We do not outsource your problems, we solve them ourselves. 30 years solving problems for the top commercial lenders. Our reputation is second to no one!  Mark Lacek 407-948-7087
Repossession/Remarketing San Francisco Bay Area SFBAAM, LLC:  20 years’ experience in equipment FMV's, Repossessions, Lease Returns & Remarketing.  We handle Copiers, Test Eq., Networking, IT, Medical, Industrial.  No Repossession pick-up fees in the Bay Area.  Over 50 million in assets remarketed.  We are in compliance w/ the major banks.   zack@sfbaam.com

(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for appraisals
and equipment valuations provided by Ed Castagna)

News Briefs----

CEO of Online Lender Prosper Steps Down
  1st Half 2016 $53.1$ Million loss/$13.5 Million 2015
http://www.wsj.com/articles/online-lender-prosper-marketplace-aaron-vermut-steps-down-as-ceo-1479151280

Element Fleet Management reports $0.25 of After-tax
     Adjusted Operating Income in Q3 2016  (3 pages)
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/Element2016.pdf

Element Fleet Management Financial Statements
  (Unaudited in thousands of Canadian dollars) (47 pages)
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/elementfleet2016.pdf

 

Please Click on Bulletin Board to learn more information
Leasing News provides this ad “gratis” as a means
to help support the growth of Lease Police)

 

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--You May Have Missed It

Financial Statement Analysis
"My Accounting Course"
http://www.myaccountingcourse.com/financial-statements/

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American Football Poem

THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL 

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

The mountain and the squirrel 
Had a quarrel, 
And the former called the latter “Little Prig”; 
Bun replied, 
“You are doubtless very big; 
But all sorts of things and weather 
Must be taken in together, 
To make up a year 
And a sphere. 
And I think it is no disgrace 
To occupy my place. 
If I'm not so large as you, 
You are not so small as I, 
And not half so spry. 
I'll not deny you make 
A very pretty squirrel track; 
Talents differ; all is well and wisely put; 
If I cannot carry forests on my back, 
Neither can you crack a nut.”

 

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Sports Briefs----

Colin Kaepernick has never registered to vote in any election
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article114803073.html

Rams to start rookie QB Jared Goff vs. Dolphins
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18055763/los-angeles-rams-start-rookie-qb-jared-goff

Dave Roberts Wins 2016 NL Manager of the Year Award:
  Voting Results and Comments
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2675361-dave-roberts-wins-2016-nl-manager-of-the-year-award-voting-results-and-comments

Tony Romo Comments on Dak Prescott as Cowboys Starting QB
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2676261-tony-romo-comments-on-dak-prescott-as-cowboys-starting-qb

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California Nuts Briefs---

Commercial Dungeness crab season under way in the Bay Area
http://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Commercial-Dungeness-crab-season-under-way-in-the-10616775.php

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“Gimme that Wine”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

New Zealand's Wine Industry Cleaning Up After Earthquake
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/New-Zealand-Wine-Industry-Cleaning-Up-After-Earthquake

Napa’s Vanishing Varietals
http://palatepress.com/2016/11/wine/napas-vanishing-varietals/

Tasting vintages of Lokoya cabernets
http://napavalleyregister.com/star/wine/tasting-vintages-of-lokoya-cabernets/article_55d27e4b-dd76-5301-891f-9a24fd1c1476.html

Rombauer harvests first grapes from new Carneros vineyard
http://napavalleyregister.com/star/news/local/rombauer-harvests-first-grapes-from-new-carneros-vineyard/article_f4752c70-4cf4-59fb-b91a-deed3cec0b93.html

Virtual winery lets Denver woman pursue her dreams
http://wcfcourier.com/business/local/virtual-winery-lets-denver-woman-pursue-her-dreams/article_65c4640d-b1f5-55f8-bb16-153d1b3a6a99.html

Multi-Color, Tapp consolidate Napa wine label printing
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/napacounty/6254999-181/multi-color-tapp-label-napa-wine-printing?artslide=0

Free Mobile Wine Program
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_26.htm#mobile

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/

US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm

    1620 - Fifteen pilgrims lead by Captain Myles Standish, William Bradford, Stephen Hopkins and Edward Tiley discovered corn on the future site of Provincetown, MA. They named the place "Corn Hill." This vegetable would become a staple for the settlers. The Indians also taught them how to make popcorn, a very popular item even way back then.
    1676 – The first prison in the Colonies opened in Nantucket, MA.
    1747 - Knowles Riot in Boston involving hundreds of sailors, laborers and free blacks rising up against British Navy Press Gangs, temporarily forced an end to impressments in the Royal Navy. Many believe this gave rise to the American Revolution, although there were several such acts of rebellion, none as dramatic as this as it was a "mob act," mostly poor whites and black, and not planned such as the Boston Tea Party.
http://www.kellscraft.com/bostonillustrated/bostonillustrated01a.html
http://www.psupress.org/Justataste/samplechapters/justatastePencak.html
http://www.eco.utexas.edu/facstaff/Cleaver/HydraArticletable.pdf
    1766 - Indians surrendered to British in Indian War of Chief Pontiac. By 1763, the British had control of much of northeastern North America. Most of the Indians were displeased by their treatment from the British. The main concern of the Indians was the continued settlement of people along the western frontier, which in 1763, included Ohio. Chief Pontiac began organizing many Indian tribes together to rebel against the British. The Indians had success waging war on frontier settlements that were not well protected. The British had many small forts on the frontier that were easily overrun by the Indians. Many British soldiers were killed in the attacks. The Indians attacked Fort Detroit and Fort Pitt but were unsuccessful in capturing the forts. The Indians were counting on French support against the British in order to take these two forts. The French support never came. In 1766, Chief Pontiac signed a peace treaty at Oswego, New York. As one of the conditions of the treaty, Pontiac was considered not guilty of any wrong and was allowed to return home to his family who were living on the Maumee River. There were farther reaching consequences, however. This war worsened Britain’s financial health and resulted in the Proclamation of 1763, preventing colonial settlement farther to the West. This will be a grievance that leads into the American Independence movement.
    1776 - Fort Washington on Manhattan Island fell to the British, who took about 2,000 prisoners. Colonial troops were on retreat and the war looked bleak as the weather.
    1776 - The first salute to a U.S. Flag (Grand Union Ensign also known as the Continental Union flag) was a volley of 11 guns fired by Fort Orange on St. Eustatius, Dutch West Indies (Leeward Islands today). The salute was in response to a volley fired from the "Andrea Doria" commanded by Isaih Robinson. It was saluted by Johannes de Graeff, governor of the colony. The brig was captained by Nicholas Biddle, who had been sent to St. Eustatius to transport arms and ammunition for the American Continental Army. This was an important event as St. Eustatius was a very important trading center and a supply base for the colonies.  Separately, the Low Countries, corresponding roughly to the present-day Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, recognized the independence of the United States.
    1777 - The Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union and submitted them to the states for ratification two days later. They were adopted on March 1, 1781. Although ultimately supplanted by the United States Constitution, the Articles of Confederation provided stability during the Revolutionary War years and attempted to define "states’ rights" and "federal authority."
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/nov15.html
    1798 – Kentucky became the first state to nullify an Act of Congress.  Thomas Jefferson drafted the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 and first introduced the word “nullification” into American political life.  Follow-up resolutions in 1799 employed Jefferson’s formulation that “nullification…is the rightful remedy” when the federal government reaches beyond its constitutional powers. In the Virginia Resolutions of 1798, James Madison said the states were “duty bound to resist” when the federal government violated the Constitution.  Jefferson warned that “… if the federal government is allowed to hold a monopoly on determining the extent of its own powers, we have no right to be surprised when it keeps discovering new ones. If the federal government has the exclusive right to judge the extent of its own powers, it will continue to grow – regardless of elections, the separation of powers, and other much-touted limits on government power.”  Boy, have we lost sight of this recently!
    1801 – The first edition of the New York Post was published.
    1821 - Missouri Indian trader William Becknell arrives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, sells his goods at an enormous profit, and makes plans to return the next year over the route that will become known as the Santa Fe Trail. Becknell's role in reopening the trail and laying out the shortcut earned him the title of "Father of the Santa Fe Trail." It became one of the most important and lucrative of the Old West trading routes; merchants and other travelers continued to follow the trail blazed by Becknell until the arrival of trains in the late 1870s.
    1836 - Kalākaua, born David Laʻamea Kamanakapuʻu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch (d. 1891), in Honolulu, was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He reigned from February 12, 1874 until his death in San Francisco, on January 20, 1891.  During his reign, hula was revived, after having been banned in 1830 by Queen Ka’ahumanu, who had converted to Christianity. He is also known for having revived surfing and the Hawaiian martial art, Kapu Kuialua.
    1863 – In the Battle of Campbell’s station near Knoxville, TN, Confederate troops failed to successfully attack Union troops.
    1864 - General William T. Sherman’s march to the sea with 62,000 men began. Leaving Atlanta, GA., in flames, it was thought the fires were started by Sherman's troops, but historians state most of the major fires were started by Confederates fleeing the city, not wanting to supply the Union troops with food and supplies. Sherman was to seep across a 60-mile front with little serious opposition, his army destroying everything useful to the Confederates, who were doing the same to his army. The South was cut in two. General William J. Hardee and his remaining Confederate forces evacuated Savannah, GA. on December 21. Sherman occupied the city that day.
    1873 - Birthday of William Christopher (W.C.) Handy (d. 1958) at Florence, AL.  American composer, bandleader, "Father of the Blues". If you can't have but one jazz CD in your collection, let me recommend “Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy”.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/music/B000002ADP/reviews/
107-7460879-4591723
http://www2.una.edu/library/handy/
    1889 - The Oahu Railway and Land Company (OR&L) began operating on Hawaii's third largest island. The brainchild of Massachusetts native Benjamin Franklin Dillingham, the railroad made it possible to move agricultural products from inland to port, stimulating the local economy and providing a valuable transportation route for decades.  (Lower portion of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/nov16.html)
    1892 - The University of Chicago won its first football victory. The preceding October 22, they played to a 0-0 tie with Northwestern in its first ever football game and this was their first win for Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg,  10-4 against Illinois at Chicago. A founding member of the Big 10, Chicago eliminated its football program for many years, but now competes against the likes of New York University, Emory and Washington University at St. Louis.
    1899 - Birthday of Mary Margaret McBride (d. 1976) Paris, MO.  From 1934 to 1954 conducted a radio show of astonishing and human interest facts and in 1940, was voted the most popular woman in radio. She was one of the first big radio stars who tried to move to the new medium of television where she was declared a big flop. It was the same night Milton Berle became the permanent host of "Texaco Star Theatre," and NBC showcased McBride in the timeslot right after Berle. Early TV's biggest success was a performer who'd never done well on radio--Milton Berle, a vaudevillian. His popularity on TV showed the uncertainty of predicting how radio stars would likely fare on television. "We all knew one thing that wouldn't work," recalled George Burns, also a vaudevillian, about moving from radio to TV: "standing in front of a microphone and reading from a script. Unfortunately, that's what we were best at."
    1902 - A cartoon appeared in the Washington Star, prompting the Teddy Bear Craze, after President Teddy Roosevelt refused to kill a captive bear tied up for him to shoot during a hunting trip to Mississippi.
    1907 - Oklahoma became the 46th state. The word, Oklahoma, is a combination of two Choctaw words meaning red people. Then, why Sooner? Many, many Oklahoma homesteaders thought sooner was better than later, better to stake their homesteads first, before it was legal to do so.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/nov16.html
    1914 - The Federal Reserve Bank was formally opened. The Federal Reserve Act, approved on December 23, 1913, was an "act to provide for the establishment of Federal Reserve Banks, to furnish an elastic currency...to establish a more effective supervision of banking in the United States." The 12 regional district banks are under the supervision of a seven-member Board of Governors.
    1918 - In NY City, the United Lutheran Church was organized by a merger of three general Lutheran bodies in the U.S. and Canada. In 1962, the ULC became one of the branches of Lutheranism which formed the Lutheran Church in America.
    1920 - The postage meter was officially set at Stamford, CT, by the Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter Company. Although the idea of metered mail originated in 1900, when the American Postage Meter Company was organized in Chicago, it was not until September 1, 1920, that the Post Office Department approved it. About $2 million was spent on research and development of the machine. [delete-dated]Today they have a near monopoly on this device. You cannot purchase the meter, you must "rent" it.
    1931 - Singer Bob Gibson (d. 1996) birthday, New York City.
http://www.mp3.com/Bob-Gibson/artists/1656/biography.html
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/g/G33.HTM
http://www.provide.net/~cfh/gibson.html
    1933 - The United States and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations. President Roosevelt sent a telegram to Soviet leader Maxim Litvinov, expressing hope that United States-Soviet relations would "forever remain normal and friendly.''
    1937 - Bob Crosby records "South Rampart St. Parade," LA, Decca 15038
    1940 - Cornell University played Dartmouth College in football and came away with a victory. Cornell entered the contest with 18 straight victories over a two-year period.  With less than a minute left in the game, Cornell got the ball on Dartmouth's six-yard line, first and goal. On first down, fullback Mort Landsberg gained three yards. On its second down, Cornell halfback Walt Scholl managed to run the ball to the one-yard line. On the third down, Landsberg tried to run up the middle but did not gain more than a few inches. On the fourth down, Cornell was penalized for delay of game, and Referee Red Friesell spotted the ball just over the 5-yard line in order to replay the fourth down. With nine seconds left on the clock, Scholl threw an incomplete pass into the end zone. Normally, the ball would have gone to Dartmouth, which would have used up the remaining seconds and won the game, 3–0.  But following the fourth down, Linesman Joe McKenny signaled that it was first down and that the ball should go to Dartmouth at the 20 yard line. Referee Friesell did not agree and gave the ball to Cornell and placed it on the 6 yard line on fourth down when in actuality it was "fifth" down. Making the most of the unexpected opportunity, Scholl threw a touchdown pass to William Murphy, and following the extra-point kick, Cornell won the game 7–3.  Officials discovered their error after reviewing the game films. Cornell's players, Coach Carl Snavely, acting athletic director Bob Kane, and President Edmund Ezra Day, a Dartmouth alumnus, agreed that Cornell should send a telegram to Dartmouth offering to forfeit the game. Dartmouth accepted.  This is described as the only time in the history of football that a game was decided off the field.  A footnote, William Murphy, Jr and I were freshman football teammates at Cornell in 1964.  He, too, was a receiver.
    1940 - New York City's "Mad Bomber", George Metesky placed his first bomb at the office building used by Consolidate Edison.
    1944 - LINDSEY, JAKE W., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Hamich, Germany, 16 November 1944. Entered service at: Lucedale, Miss. Birth: Isney, Ala. G.O. No.: 43, 30 May 1945. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 16 November 1944, in Germany. T/Sgt. Lindsey assumed a position about 10 yards to the front of his platoon during an intense enemy infantry-tank counterattack, and by his unerringly accurate fire destroyed 2 enemy machinegun nests, forced the withdrawal of 2 tanks, and effectively halted enemy flanking patrols. Later, although painfully wounded, he engaged 8 Germans, who were reestablishing machinegun positions, in hand-to-hand combat, killing 3, capturing 3, and causing the other 2 to flee. By his gallantry, T/Sgt. Lindsey secured his unit's position, and reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
    1944 - MILLER, ANDREW,  Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company G, 377th Infantry, 95th Infantry Division. Place and date: From Woippy, France, through Metz to Kerprich Hemmersdorf, Germany, 1629 November 1944. Entered service at: Two Rivers, Wis. Birth: Manitowoc, Wis. G.O. No.: 74, 1 September 1945. Citation: For performing a series of heroic deeds from 1629 November 1944, during his company's relentless drive from Woippy, France, through Metz to Kerprich Hemmersdorf, Germany. As he led a rifle squad on 16 November at Woippy, crossfire from enemy machineguns pinned down his unit. Ordering his men to remain under cover, he went forward alone, entered a building housing 1 of the guns and forced S Germans to surrender at bayonet point. He then took the second gun single-handedly by hurling grenades into the enemy position, killing 2, wounding 3 more, and taking 2 additional prisoners. At the outskirts of Metz the next day, when his platoon, confused by heavy explosions and the withdrawal of friendly tanks, retired, he fearlessly remained behind armed with an automatic rifle and exchanged bursts with a German machinegun until he silenced the enemy weapon. His quick action in covering his comrades gave the platoon time to regroup and carry on the fight. On 19 November S/Sgt. Miller led an attack on large enemy barracks. Covered by his squad, he crawled to a barracks window, climbed in, and captured 6 riflemen occupying the room. His men, and then the entire company, followed through the window, scoured the building, and took 75 prisoners. S/Sgt. Miller volunteered, with 3 comrades, to capture Gestapo officers who were preventing the surrender of German troops in another building. He ran a gauntlet of machinegun fire and was lifted through a window. Inside, he found himself covered by a machine pistol, but he persuaded the 4 Gestapo agents confronting him to surrender. Early the next morning, when strong hostile forces punished his company with heavy fire, S/Sgt. Miller assumed the task of destroying a well-placed machinegun. He was knocked down by a rifle grenade as he climbed an open stairway in a house, but pressed on with a bazooka to find an advantageous spot from which to launch his rocket. He discovered that he could fire only from the roof, a position where he would draw tremendous enemy fire. Facing the risk, he moved into the open, coolly took aim, and scored a direct hit on the hostile emplacement, wreaking such havoc that the enemy troops became completely demoralized and began surrendering by the score. The following day, in Metz, he captured 12 more prisoners and silenced an enemy machinegun after volunteering for a hazardous mission in advance of his company's position. On 29 November, as Company G climbed a hill overlooking Kerprich Hemmersdorf, enemy fire pinned the unit to the ground. S/Sgt. Miller, on his own initiative, pressed ahead with his squad past the company's leading element to meet the surprise resistance. His men stood up and advanced deliberately, firing as they went. Inspired by S/Sgt. Miller's leadership, the platoon followed, and then another platoon arose and grimly closed with the Germans. The enemy action was smothered, but at the cost of S/Sgt. Miller's life. His tenacious devotion to the attack, his gallant choice to expose himself to enemy action rather than endanger his men, his limitless bravery, assured the success of Company G.
    1944 - HORNER, FREEMAN V., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K, 119th Infantry, 30th Infantry Division. Place and date: Wurselen, Germany, 16 November 1944. Entered service at: Shamokin, Pa. Birth: Mount Carmel, Pa. G.O. No.: 95, 30 October 1945. Citation: S/Sgt. Horner and other members of his company were attacking Wurselen, Germany, against stubborn resistance on 16 November 1944, when machinegun fire from houses on the edge of the town pinned the attackers in flat, open terrain 100 yards from their objective. As they lay in the field, enemy artillery observers directed fire upon them, causing serious casualties. Realizing that the machineguns must be eliminated in order to permit the company to advance from its precarious position, S/Sgt. Horner voluntarily stood up with his submachine gun and rushed into the teeth of concentrated fire, burdened by a heavy load of ammunition and hand grenades. Just as he reached a position of seeming safety, he was fired on by a machinegun which had remained silent up until that time. He coolly wheeled in his fully exposed position while bullets barely missed him and killed 2 hostile gunners with a single, devastating burst. He turned to face the fire of the other 2 machineguns, and dodging fire as he ran, charged the 2 positions 50 yards away. Demoralized by their inability to hit the intrepid infantryman, the enemy abandoned their guns and took cover in the cellar of the house they occupied. S/Sgt. Horner burst into the building, hurled 2 grenades down the cellar stairs, and called for the Germans to surrender. Four men gave up to him. By his extraordinary courage, S/Sgt. Horner destroyed 3 enemy machinegun positions, killed or captured 7 enemy, and cleared the path for his company's successful assault on Wurselen.
    1945, Woody Herman waxes "Wildroot," Columbia 36949.
    1945 - Eighty-eight German scientists, holding Nazi secrets, arrived in the U.S. In a move that stirs up some controversy, the United States ships 88 German scientists to America to assist the nation in its production of rocket technology. Most of these men had served under the Nazi regime and critics in the United States questioned the morality of placing them in the service of America.  The situation pointed out one of the many ironies connected with the Cold War. The United States and the Soviet Union, once allies against Germany and the Nazi regime during World War II, were now in a fierce contest to acquire the best and brightest scientists who had helped arm the German forces in order to construct weapons systems to threaten each other.
    1947 - Top Hits
“I Wish I Didn't Love You So” - Vaughn Monroe
“Near You” - The Francis Craig Orchestra (vocal: Bob Lamm)
“You Do” - Dinah Shore
“I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)” - Eddy Arnold
    1952 - "Our Goodly Heritage" debuted over CBS television. This Sunday morning Bible study program, hosted by William Rush Baer of New York University, aired a little over five years.
    1952 - Birthday of Glenn Burke (d. 1995), baseball player, born at Oakland, CA. Burke spent four seasons in the majors (1976-79) with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland Athletics. He was the first former baseball player whose cause of death was acknowledged as AIDS.
    1952 - John Clellon Holmes article, "This is the Beat Generation", appears in NY Times Magazine. His novel, “Go”, often call the first published "Beat" novel, which presented characters based on Kerouac, Ginsberg and Neal Cassady, five years before Kerouac would turn the same cast of characters into legends with 'On the Road'. Also during this month, Jack Kerouac works as student brakeman for a railroad in California and his “Book of Dreams” project is begun here in Los Gatos, Ca. He and Cassady would die deaths related to alcoholism.
http://www.litkicks.com/BeatPages/page.jsp?what=NealCassady
    1955 - Top Hits
“Sixteen Tons” - Tennessee Ernie Ford
“Autumn Leaves” - Roger Williams
“Only You” - The Platters
“Love, Love, Love” - Webb Pierce
    1955 - The Four Lads record "No, Not Much"
    1955 - 'Tennessee' Ernie Ford drove to the top spot on the record charts. “Sixteen Tons”, where he owed his "soul to the company store..." became the fastest-selling record in history, jumping to #1 in just 3 weeks. The tune, on Capitol Records, stayed at #1 for eight weeks.
    1956 - Elvis Presley's film debut, "Love Me Tender," opens in New York. Despite critical reaction, it takes in nearly $4 million in just two months.
    1958 - Golfers enjoying an autumn day got a surprise when over six inches of snow fell on Tucson, Arizona.
    1959 - The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, “The Sound of Music'' opened on Broadway, originally staring Theodore Bikel and Mary Martin. The show played 1,443 performances (the second longest running musical at that time.) In 1965, it was released as a movie starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. It is based on an original true story from the book, first made into a German film, very popular in Europe. Maria von Trapp's book, “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers” was published in 1949 and shortly after, Hollywood approached Maria with an offer to buy the book title. They wanted to buy the title but create their own story. Maria refused to sell the title without the whole story and produced the film herself in Germany.
http://www.trappfamily.com/story
http://www.prigsbee.com/Musicals/shows/soundofmusic.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000AG6Y/103-0205572-2897419
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000AG6Y/103-0205572-2897419
    1959 - Beat author Jack Kerouac appears on the Steve Allen Show in Hollywood. After the show, he has dinner with sex kitten Mamie Van Doren.
    1959 - The most severe November cold wave in U.S. history was in progress. A weather observation station located 14 miles northeast of Lincoln, MT reported a reading of 53 degrees below zero, which established an all-time record low temperature for the nation for the month of November. Their high that day was one degree above zero.
    1959 - "Mr. Blue" by the Fleetwoods topped the charts and stayed there for a week.
    1959 - The Boston Patriots become the AFL's eighth and final franchise under the ownership of William H. Sullivan, Jr.  After moving to Foxboro, they are now the four-time Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots.
    1960 - After Brenda Lee had turned it down for being "too Country", Patsy Cline records "I Fall to Pieces" for Decca Records in Nashville. The song will enter the US charts the following summer and rise to #12.
    1961 - President John F. Kennedy decides to increase military aid to South Vietnam without committing U.S. combat troops. Kennedy was concerned at the advances being made by the communist Viet Cong, but did not want to become involved in a land war in Vietnam. He hoped that the military aid would be sufficient to strengthen the Saigon government and its armed forces against the Viet Cong. Ultimately it was not, and Kennedy ended up sending additional support in the form of U.S. military advisors and American helicopter units. By the time of his assassination in 1963, there were 16,000 U.S. soldiers in South Vietnam.
    1962 - Wilt Chamberlain of NBA San Francisco Warriors scores 73 points vs. NY
    1963 - Top Hits
“Deep Purple” - Nino Tempo & April Stevens
“Washington Square” - The Village Stompers
“I'm Leaving It Up to You” - Dale & Grace
“Love's Gonna Live Here” - Buck Owens
    1963 - "Deep Purple" by Nino Tempo & April Stevens topped the charts and stayed there for a week.
    1964 - Jay and The Americans record "Let's Lock the Door", which will reach #11 on the Billboard chart early the next year.
    1964 – “Doctor K”, Dwight Gooden, was born in Tampa.  Gooden is a four-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion. He won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 1984, as he led the league in strikeouts, and then won the NL Cy Young award in 1985. While a member of the Yankees, Gooden threw a no-hitter in 1996. Gooden made his major-league debut on April 7, 1984 with the New York Mets at the age of 19. He quickly developed a reputation of unitability with his 98 MPH fastball and sweeping curve.  He became the youngest player to appear in an All-Star Game in 1984. He led MLB with 24 wins, 268 strikeouts, and a 1.53 ERA, the second lowest in the Live Ball Era, trailing only Bob Gibson's 1.12 in 1968. At age 20, he was the youngest pitcher of the last half-century to have an ERA+ above 200. Gooden's ERA+ was 229.  It all went up in the smoke of coke because in 1994, he tested positive for cocaine use and was suspended for 60 days. He tested positive again while serving the suspension, and was further suspended for the entire 1995 season.
    1965 - First public announcement about Walt Disney World.
    1965 - CBS-TV airs the Frank Sinatra documentary “Sinatra: An American Original”, hosted by Walter Cronkite.
    1966 - Dr. Sam Sheppard freed after 9 years in jail, by a jury. His story is the basis of several television series and movie, "The Fugitive."
    1968 - B.J. Thomas' "Hooked on a Feeling" is released.
    1969 - News reports charged a U.S. infantry unit with massacre at My Lai 4, a village in the Song My district in South Vietnam, on March 16, 1968. More than 450 villagers including many women and babies were said to have been slain. Pending an investigation, Lt. William L. Calley, Jr. in charge of the U.S. unit at the time, was kept on active duty beyond his official tour. He later would receive several months in jail in one of the many military cover-ups about the war in Vietnam.
    1971 - Top Hits
“Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves” - Cher
“Theme from ‘Shaft’” - Isaac Hayes
“Imagine” - John Lennon Plastic Ono Band
“Lead Me On” - Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn
    1972 - A coastal storm gave New England a lashing. Heavy, wet snow in parts of New Hampshire and Vermont downing power and utility lines while heavy rains in southern New England producing some flooding
    1973 - 30th manned US space flight launched with three astronauts, G.P. Carr, W.R. Page and E.G. Gibson, who spent 84 days on the space station. Space walks totaled 22 hours. Returned to Earth on Feb 8, 1974.
    1973 - President Nixon authorizes construction of the Alaskan pipeline.
   1974 - "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" by John Lennon with the Plastic Ono Nuclear Band topped the charts and stayed there for a week.  Helping out on piano and vocals is Elton John.  In his homeland, it could do no better than #36. His girlfriend, May Pang, would later recall that John got the inspiration for the song when he saw TV evangelist Reverend Ike utter the phrase "Let me tell you guys, it doesn't matter, it's whatever gets you through the night."
    1974 - NBC-TV began a two-night showing of the award-winning film, "The Godfather", starring Marlon Brando. The film was the highest price paid for a shown on television movie when NBC paid Paramount Pictures $10 million to show it.
    1974 - Stevie Wonder's "Boogie on Reggae Woman" is released.
    1975 - Chicago Bear Walter Payton rushed for 105 yards in a game against the San Francisco 49ers, for his first game of 100 plus yards. He would reach this feat over 50 times throughout his career, adding two 200-yard games, as well.
    1977 - The Canadian trio Rush receive three gold records for "2112," "All the World's a Stage" and "A Farewell to Kings." The group, which started out as a Led Zeppelin-inspired power trio, opted for a more experimental progressive direction on those LPs and found itself a sizable audience.
    1979 - Top Hits
“Heartache Tonight” - Eagles
“Dim All the Lights” - Donna Summer
“Still” - Commodores
“You Decorated My Life” - Kenny Rogers
    1983 – Baltimore Oriole Cal Ripken is named the American League's MVP becoming the first player to win the Rookie of the Year (1982) and Most Valuable Player Award in consecutive years.
    1984 - Dr. Anna L. Fisher was the first astronaut who was a mother. She was a member of the crew of Space Shuttle "Discovery" mission that lifted off Cape Canaveral, FL. She participated in the world's first satellite retrieval and repair operation.
    1985 - "We Built This City" by Starship topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.
    1987 - Top Hits
“I Think We're Alone Now” - Tiffany
“Mony Mony ‘Live’" - Billy Idol
“(I've Had) The Time of My Life” - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
“Maybe Your Baby's Got the Blues” - The Judds
    1987 - High winds and heavy snow created blizzard conditions across parts of eastern Colorado. Wind gusts reached 68 mph at Pueblo, and snowfall totals ranged up to 37 inches at Echo Lake. In Wyoming, the temperature dipped to 14 degrees below zero at Laramie. Strong thunderstorms in Louisiana drenched Alexandria with 16.65 inches of rain in thirty hours, with an unofficial total of 21.21 inches north of Olla. Flash flooding in Louisiana caused five to six million dollars damage.
    1989 - Severe thunderstorms produced 22 tornadoes from Virginia to New York. Winds gusted to 80 mph caused a wall at the Coldenham School in Newburgh, NY to collapse, killing 9 children.  Snow and gusty winds invaded the north central U.S.  Winds gusting to 40 mph produced wind chill readings as cold as 25 degrees below zero, and blizzard conditions were reported in Nebraska during the late morning hours. High winds around a powerful low pressure system produced squalls in the Great Lakes Region. Winds gusted to 63 mph at Whitefish Point, MI, and snowfall totals in Michigan ranged up to 19 inches at Hart, north of Muskegon
    1992 - For the first time since 1563, the Roman Catholic Church issued a new universal catechism, which addressed modern-day issues.
    1994 - Bernette Johnson was sworn in as the first black woman ever elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court.
    1994 - Top Hits
“I'll Make Love To You” - Boyz II Men
“Here Comes The Hotstepper” (From "Ready To Wear") - Ini Kamoze
“All I Wanna Do” - Sheryl Crow
“Another Night” - Real McCoy
    1996 - "Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morissette topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.
    1999 - Top Hits
“Smooth” - Santana Featuring Rob Thomas
“Back At One” - Brian McKnight
“Mambo No. 5” (“A Little Bit Of...”) - Lou Bega
“I Need To Know” - Marc Anthony
    2001 - Yankee right hander Roger Clemens (20-3, 3.51 ERA) wins the Cy Young Award for an unprecedented sixth time (Red Sox: 1986, '87, '91 and Blue Jays: 1997, '98). The 'Rocket' becomes the first Pinstriper to win the award since 1978 when Ron Guidry copped the honor.
    2001 - The city of Palm Springs, CA unveils a statue in its downtown area honoring the late Sonny Bono, half of Sonny and Cher and mayor of the city for a time in the Eighties.
    2001 - Congress passed a law mandating that airport screeners be federal employees.
    2002 - The New York Yankees and the Yomiuri Giants in Japan signed an agreement to form a working relationship. Being the most successful teams in their respective leagues, the organizations hope to establish scouting and marketing ties which will benefit both teams.  
    2003 - Top Hits
“Baby Boy” - Beyonce Featuring Sean Paul
“Stand Up” - Ludacris Featuring Shawnna
“Holidae In” - Chingy Featuring Ludacris & Snoop Dogg
“Damn!” - YoungBloodZ Featuring Lil Jon
    2005 - Severe thunderstorms produced over 30 tornadoes in 6 states, resulting in one fatality and at least 35 injuries (Associated Press). Some of the worst damage occurred in Henry County, Tennessee, where numerous homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed.
    2006 – “Queen's Greatest Hits” is declared the most popular album of all time in Britain, with more than five-and-a-half million units sold. At Number Two: the Beatles' “Sgt. Pepper”.
    2010 - U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) was convicted on 11 of 13 charges related to financial misconduct, including income tax evasion, prompting fellow lawmakers to censure the 80-year-old New York Democrat.
    2012 - Hostess Brands – Twinkies, Ho-Hos, Wonder Bread, Ding Dongs - revealed its plan to file for bankruptcy and liquidate its assets, claiming contract disputes from the bakery's union worker strike crippled its operations; about 18,500 workers were laid off.  As part of the BK adjudication, the several brands were sold to multiple buyers.  Hostess Brands, LLC is a bakery company formed in June 2013. It now owns several bakeries in the United States that produce snack cakes under the Hostess and Dolly Madison brand names.